Target substance detection kit and target substance detection method

Abstract

The present invention allows a target substance to be detected easily without applying an external magnetic field to a magnetic marker. The present invention provides a target substance detection kit including: a target substance detection board which contains a magnetic sensor and a first target substance capture molecule; and a magnetic marker which contains a magnetic structure and a second target substance capture molecule, wherein the first target substance capture molecule exists on a surface of the target substance detection board, and the magnetic structure generates a magnetic stray field under polarized light.

1. A target substance detection method for detecting the presence or absence of a target substance or an amount of the target substance in a specimen, comprising:
 (i) putting a magnetic marker and the specimen in contact with a target substance detection board which contains a magnetic sensor and a first target substance capturing body and thereby forming a compound which includes the first target substance capturing body, the target substance, and the magnetic marker, the magnetic marker containing a magnetic structure and a second target substance capturing body; 
 (ii) illuminating the compound with polarized light; and 
 (iii) detecting a magnetic stray field generated by the magnetic structure under the polarized light by using the magnetic sensor, so as to detect the target substance. 
 
     
     
       2. The target substance detection method according to  claim 1 , wherein the detecting a magnetic stray field generated by the magnetic structure under the polarized light detects changes in electrical characteristics of the magnetic sensor, the changes being caused by the magnetic stray field generated by the structure under the polarized light. 
     
     
       3. The target substance detection method according to  claim 1 , wherein the polarized light is a circular polarized light. 
     
     
       4. The target substance detection method according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is selected from the group consisting of a magnetoresistive device, a Hall device, and a superconducting quantum interference device.